Athletic footwear construction has been revolutionized in recent decades. Athletic shoes for activities such as running, tennis, basketball, etc., particularly high top shoes, constitute specialty items different from footwear for other uses. They typically incorporate features that secure the shoes snugly to the feet, providing support for the particular activity Consequently, putting high top athletic footwear on the feet can be laborious and time consuming. It would be advantageous to have easy entry athletic high top footwear to enable easy and quick application and removal. However, such footwear must still have proper support features. Various types of easy entry rigid ski boots have been taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,761,898; 4,095,356; 4,280,286; and 4,107,856; and rear entry low top shoes have been taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,736,110 and 3,192,651. Yet, as far as is known, no one has devised athletic high top shoes capable of rear entry and of providing proper support when worn, so that after applied to the feet, they effectively supply the support important for containing the stresses applied during sports activities.